THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Friday, October 17, 2025, said there will be no voter registration activities in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Barmm) until after the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections (BPE), which is set no later than March 31, 2026.
In an interview, Comelec Chairman George Garcia said they decided not to resume voter registration activities along with the rest of the country on October 20, and instead open them on May 1, 2026.
“When we resume voter registration in October throughout the country, we will not yet include the Barmm,” Garcia said.
“We want to resume voter registration in Barmm once the BPE is over,” he added.
The poll chief said this will prevent confusion among Barmm residents about whether they will be able to vote in the BPE.
He said only those registered during the May 12 midterm polls will be able to vote in the BPE.
“Some people may think that by registering, they will be able to vote in the BPE,” the official said.
“We repeat, those who will be able to vote in the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections are only those who were registered voters as of May 12 and voted during the midterm elections,” Garcia added.
Under Comelec Resolution 11177, voter registration activities will resume on October 20 and will run until May 18, 2026, in all regions of the country except Barmm.
Voter registration in Barmm, on the other hand, will run from May 1 to May 18, 2026. (Anton Banal/SunStar Philippines)